


whenever there is a meeting, a parting shall follow

by Anonymous



Category: Naruto
Genre: Corruption, End of Times, F/M, Gen, Mentions of Blood, Mentions of Violence, Post-Apocalyptic, battles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 06:14:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29896830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: time passes, people move. like a river's flow, it never ends.-- sheik, ocarina of time.[sasusaku, legend of zelda au!](heavily inspired by botw, with easter eggs from other loz media)fic is based on this thread: [link] (heh, a pun)
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke
Comments: 6
Kudos: 13
Collections: Anonymous





	1. her first memory

**Author's Note:**

> title is quoted from _majora’s mask_. the zelda series has always been one of my childhood obsessions, and like a certain ninja said, _a thing that does not change with time is a memory of younger days._

Princess Sakura 951st of the Haruno Clan has never believed in legends. She's a woman of science, the youngest physician in Konoha’s recent history. From birth, she learned quickly to help and lead, because of her love for the land and her people.

However, she knew everything she did for the betterment of her country was futile.

For she was born with the tell-tale pink hair and the sea-green eyes from a clan of dark-haired and fair-skinned royalty, fulfilling what has been foretold.

Konoha will fall.

At this age, the Calamity will rise again.

And Konoha grew in despair, as their princess grew, never manifesting any divine magic at all.

The prophecy would strike anytime, and yet here she was, a mockery of what her past incarnations had stood for. The high priestess, the spring goddess reborn. Yet here she was, painfully normal.

She could not make pillars of light or resurrect the undead. All she could do was staunch heavy wounds with her hands between her treatments, but all they - the royal family, their subject, the whole country - could see was the gaps between her fingers. How the bright blood seeped through her shaking knuckles, unable to stop the increase of deaths from the ominous coming of the prophecy.

Thus Sakura’s hatred of the Prophecy simmered in the following years. She found it pointless when the council and her family asked for her to focus on worship in the temples, instead of dallying in trauma tents, or absconding her daily prayers for case reviews.

With the state of her country right now, there were far more important matters in Konoha to take care of, than believing in old wives tales.

Her stubbornness (or level-headedness) caused an altercation, aghast at her obvious disregard and betrayal to her country for absconding from her duty of piety.

It all changed, on her 16th birthday, when a quiet, young man came forward to court one day. Eyes flashing red, his gloved hand bearing a simple blade, covered in ivory-white.

The sword had finally chosen her hero.

A young orphan boy, bearing the holy sword, for the entire Court to behold.

Her guardian. The prophesied knight.

All that was left was for the demon to awaken before the Calamity begins.

The guardian was a renowned warrior from the dwindling Uchiha Clan, whose scattered members had for the glory of the monarchy; most dedicated to the protection of the Holy Queen.

It was a mystery for the Court and Clan alike for the mysterious boy to present himself willingly to the King and his subjects.

The odd boy was a recluse who had spent half of his young life wandering all around Konoha. Many believed that he preferred obscurity, then the overbearing politics in the Castle.

Still, he became the youngest knight in their force. He quickly became the captain of her security, (her sole security, of course, they will not waste a group of guards for such a wayward princess.) In an instant, he was even made a lord.

Konoha was so relieved of his existence, that the knight met their expectations.

The boy gained so much respect, in so little time, that it made her furious.

All her life she did everything to equal with her peers, even with the absence of her powers.

But, _he!_ He waltzes into her life, and the world gave everything to him on a silver platter! Just because he came barging in, carrying a mere relic...!

“I have no need of your protection, Sir Knight.”

Those were her first words to him, on their first meeting.

“I can take care of myself.”

Even his bow was exquisite, adding to her scorn and surmounting envy.

It was unbelievable that he was not of noble birth.

“I am aware, Your Grace.” He responds, eyes downcast.

Then he raises his eyes, the color of a dark, red sunset, determined.

“But I shall stay.”

* * *

In her frustration, Sakura made his job a living hell.

She escaped under his watch multiple times. She made sure that her tracks were covered whenever she disguised herself when she went to infirmaries or almshouses. Went to apothecaries and laboratories in secret, departing from the backdoors of the temples without his knowledge.

However, no matter what subterfuge she did, dodged him at every turn, or ignored his presence, he was always there.

The knight was an ever-present shadow who had cleared her paths from assassins on her way to the market. A silent blade cleaved away stray monsters as she went to the nearby glade to gather some rare flowers. A vigilant silhouette on a balcony rail, staring at the distance, unfailing in his duty.

And yet, matter how much she treated him unfairly, he seemed determined to follow her. He didn’t mind her bouts of temper. He waited for her to lag in her journeys, before she would see flickering campfire from a distance and his rigid form, waiting for her arrival.

Sasuke would ready for her a soft bedroll. He would provide her a warm change of clothes and a well-cooked meal. He even prepares her favorites, honey, and fruits, evenly glazed for harshest days.

It was a little thrilling. A bit frightening. On how he knew her so well.

Like he had done this before.


	2. an almost forgotten memory (her 5th)

“Forgive me, milady.”

Her knight had taken her hand as soon as she stepped out of the temple’s infirmary. 

All of her equipment in the healing room - her drawstring bag and a pack of elixirs - had already been tied alongside his blade and own leather bag.

Were there any attempts at her life earlier while she was working? His attempts at stealth were forgotten, quickly leaving the beaten path and leading them to the shadows cast by the towering woods and the setting sun. 

The breeze blew, and she caught the sharp scent of rust and smoke.

Her feet almost dragged, just to incite some semblance of defiance.

“What happened?”

A lone red eye behind the wild black fringes gave her a stare.

“It’s nothing.”

His hold slightly twitched. She tugged at his hand, a cue for him to continue.

“Nothing you have to worry about.”

He was too tense to elaborate. With the surmounting anxiety, she let him be reticent with the details. For now. He is duty-bound to report everything to her, but she’d let it slide for a while and wait till the danger has long passed.

Thus, during the silence, she observed.

The long, dark hair, messily tied with coarse leather behind his nape. The strong lines of his spine. The way his clothes clung snugly to his skin. She appreciated the shape of his calves, how its taut form was capable of being silent. His steps were more pronounced around her presence, always too careful not to startle her. 

Quickly, she raised her eyes, afraid that he might see her stolen glances. Relieved that he was still focused on the road, she wondered at the lone jewelry he wore: an obsidian drop at the edge of his ear, swaying to and fro at every step. She wondered if it was a talisman or a memento of sorts. Did an old lover give it to him? 

Something dark and yawning coiled within her. Sakura decided to ignore it, too weary (frightened) to reflect what made her think _that_. 

Right now, she wanted to change out of her blood-stained smocks, pestilence, and antiseptics still clinging to her skin. Her nails were still stained with the remaining guts. Her hands were getting more scarred with each passing day, from pulling surgery threads for a tighter stitch to holding forceps for hours... 

Right now, she deserved to be taken care of. 

And much to her surprise, her knight, oftentimes, had been more than willing to do so.

After a few weeks of her companion’s vigilant watch, she slowly opened up to him, like a hesitant bloom finding the burst of sunshine more comfortable than a winter’s chill. Somehow, his silence was more welcoming than any haughty advice or even placating words could ever bring. 

Sasuke _always_ listened. He would lean closer as she excitedly rambled about medical tomes. She’d go on for hours discussing an intriguing patient that day, or how tiring it is to remain still for the entire court session, or her disdain for all the two-faced nobles during those sessions. 

She even confided about her awkwardness during her entrances in monasteries, of the devout who believed that she might sprout wings or halos on her rare instances of prayer while kneeling before the altar.

And Sakura doesn’t understand why. 

He has no obligation to be kind to her. 

After all of the things she did to him, she ought to earn his scorn, not...

Not _this_.

“Aren’t you bored of doing guard duty?” 

The niggling curiosity was too much to bear. It was a valid question. A highly accomplished knight babysitting a royal with no inherent ability was quite menial, and even insulting, to someone of his prowess. 

The grass rustled beneath their feet. The warm glow of the campfire was welcoming, as he had started on pulling wires from nearby branches. He was probably checking his traps. 

Her knight refused to turn to her. 

Undeterred, she went on. 

“You could not possibly want this task.” She settled on a nearby rock, exhausted. “I’ve seen you, sir knight. There is a world out there for you to explore. You could have even changed the world with the ever-increasing amount of dangers if you were not bound to me. Stuck to a spoiled princess, because of a silly legend.”

A chuckle. 

Sakura startled, almost slipping from her seat. 

Her knight was kneeling before her. Head bent and neck bare. 

An arm over an armored, raised knee. 

His hand over his heart. Subservient to her.

He was staring at her with those carmine eyes, darkened with the ever-deepening evening. The gleam of his eyes flickered, in every crackle of the cheery flame dancing beside them.

“My lady,” he said evenly. “I am where I want to be.” 

Something rattled beneath her ribcage. Its noise was deafening. It felt like there was a pulsating mass in her chest that threatened to gnaw over her mind and overcome rational thought.

“You’re not--Don’t do _that._ ” Her voice was hushed. Quiet. “Don’t kneel before me.”

To her surprise, he raised an eyebrow.

“Not used to it?”

He had never spoken so directly to her before, even at her most unpleasant moments. 

“It’s just--I’ve done nothing to earn _this._ Your dedication. Your loyalty. Even your protec--”

“There is nothing to earn. It is freely given.” 

His mouth curved. She could almost take it as a smirk.

“Everything I have to give, it is yours.”

Sakura would never understand why he’d often put distance between them but he’d be extremely reverent. Loyal. Like she held his entire world.

Mouth dry, she shook her head and continued. 

“Then, can I ask you for one thing?”

He tilted his head, the black jewel, stark against the pale skin of his throat, glistened with moonlight. Pensive, but yes, she knew, he’d be willing to give her anything she’d ask for.

Goddesses above, his penetrating eyes alone felt like a charged lightning, ready to strike as it hid behind the ominous clouds of an oncoming storm.

“If you are to stay with me,” She swallowed nervously. “You must call me Sakura.”

A leather-covered palm over her trembling wrist hand.

“Likewise, as long as you’d let me stay, Sakura.” He paused, seemingly to savor the name, his attentive gaze that never missed anything focused on her. “By your side, I’m Sasuke.” 

She gives him a tentative smile and takes his proffered palm. 

“Alright.” 

He pulls her up, settles a hand on her elbow, even if she did not need any assistance. 

She rose from her seat as if it was a grand throne. Her chin held high, trying not to falter on her steps as he led her to the sparkling waters. 

And Sasuke stood at the edges, his back presented to her while she went into the pool. The skirts of her sheer white robe rippled on the surface. She then knelt on the stone dais and started her nightly prayer in the Holy Spring of Courage.

Sakura placed her hands together, then held her head higher, as she knelt before a cold statue and the unwavering moon. As the high priestess, she should’ve communed with the forest spirits for guidance. She should’ve been more adamant for blessings of prosperity. Wished for the safety of her people. Or even, have her innate magic unlocked to save her country from the nearing Calamity. 

The right thing was to make an unselfish wish... 

But she is a fool. 

_(goddess_ , she prays instead, _give me the strength_ ) 

Sakura might have hated legends, but she is too familiar with fairy tales. 

( _the courage to resist from thy trial_.)

Princesses and Knights don’t have happy endings.


End file.
